Is BEC really that bad outside of Cost Accounting, Budgeting & Ratios?

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  • #2653929
    GetThisCPA94
    Participant

    Ok so first and foremost, please forgive me for gracing this forum with yet another BEC thread, but this question is burning inside of me.

    How bad is BEC really outside of Cost Accounting, the ratios, and the budgeting? I’ve began to study all of the Chapters together in preparation of my test on Sept 10, and I’m starting to see that COSO, ERP, Econ, some of the IT, and even some of the non mathematical questions from Cost Acc & Budgeting aren’t really that bad. It seems as if the rather hard part comes in when you have to remember the Cost Accounting formulas and ratios and “prove” that you know them by reverse engineering the method/the way you were taught. For those who have taken BEC and passed, what are your thoughts and experiences? I think this question begins to hold even more weight when you consider mostly everyone saying that your main focus should be on COSO, ERM, IT, rather than some of the hard hitting math.

    Also, how long did you prep for the Written Section (for those who are average/above average writers)?

    AUD - 76
    BEC - 81
    FAR - 81
    REG - 77
    This too shall pass...
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  • #2661378
    jacobzion5
    Participant

    For the written section I looked up how long it should be (I think I read like 10-15 sentences) and for a template (https://www.another71.com/cpa-exam-forum/topic/bec-written-communication-advice-2/):

    Dear [insert name], (note that a salutation is only necessary if the WC is formatted as a letter instead of a memo)

    Thank you for allowing me to assist with your inquiry regarding [restate the question]. When analyzing [Subject matter to be discussed], we must consider

      Each topic should be its own paragraph. Begin each paragraph by giving a definition of each topic.
      In conclusion, I recommend [summarize your findings above, preferably using more buzz words].

      I appreciate the opportunity to assist you. Should you have any more questions as you review [subject matter] in greater detail, please do not hesitate to contact me.

      Best regards,
      [your name]

      To be honest, if you are an okay writer you should be able to fluff up your paper and throw in those buzzwords no problem. I got a 93 and didn't even practice for the WC's, study something else.

      AUD - 88
      BEC - 93
      FAR - 84
      REG - 81
      DONE!
      #2663001
      Cobalt60
      Participant

      I spent pretty much no time preparing for the written portion. I did review the solutions in Becker and followed a similar pattern on the exam.

      For me, BEC was tough. A lot of calculations that took a lot of time. One of my sims was all variance analysis through production volume variance. The ERM, COSO stuff was miserable to me. I have a hard time memorizing mneumonics. EBOCA! No idea what the letters stand for. Walking out I was sure I failed.

      I barely finished in time. It was the only exam I didn't have an hour or so to spare.

      AUD - 91
      BEC - 90
      FAR - 84
      REG - 89
      -
      #2663025
      dukenuke
      Participant

      Is the authoritative literature available for reference for the written simulations?

      “Get to the chopper.”

      79 FAR-5/2019

      76 AUD-6/2019

      81 REG-8/2019

      78 BEC-2/2020

      #2663058
      jacobzion5
      Participant

      I don't think it was available, but I may be wrong.

      AUD - 88
      BEC - 93
      FAR - 84
      REG - 81
      DONE!
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